Planning Commission opens public hearing on amending building-height rules in St. Mary's County zoning schedule

Saint Mary's County Planning Commission — March 12, 2007 — The Planning Commission opened a public hearing March 12 on a zoning text amendment to Chapter 32 (Property Development Regulations), Schedule 32.1 (Development Standards) that would relocate and revise a footnote on maximum building heights, add a site-by-site compliance trigger, require sprinklers for taller buildings, and correct a footnote spelling error.

Planning staff member Michael Canavan told the commission the amendment would move the existing footnote (currently shown in a table row) to individual zone height limits and replace part of the existing language with a renumbered footnote. Under the proposed wording read into the record, “principal structures may be erected to a maximum height of 50 feet when the side and the rear yards are increased 1 foot for each foot of height in excess of the height restrictions of the zone,” and “existing buildings constructed as of the effective date of this amendment are not considered a nonconforming building height.” Canavan…